1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus in which the periphery of a switching member, which switches a sheet conveying path, can be opened as an access space used to process jam and to an image forming apparatus having the sheet conveying apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copy machine, and the like employs a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet while switching a sheet conveying direction at the branch portions of a plurality of sheet conveying paths using a switching member. In the sheet conveying apparatus, since sheet jam may occur in the peripheries of the branch portions of the sheet conveying paths, the sheet conveying apparatus is ordinarily provided with an openable/closable exterior cover (hereinafter, referred to as a jam processing door) so that the peripheries of the branch portions can be accessed easily to process the jam.
As an example of the sheet conveying apparatus, there is a sheet conveying apparatus which is mounted on an image forming apparatus main body and can stack sheets, which have images formed thereon, on many trays after they are sorted. The sheet conveying apparatus has a sheet conveying path for convey sheets in a direction where the trays are disposed, a plurality of sheet conveying paths branched from the sheet conveying path to the respective trays, and switching members which switches the conveying directions of the sheets in the respective branch portions. Further, the sheet conveying apparatus is provided with an openable/closable jam processing door so that the peripheries of the branch portions where the respective switching members are disposed can be easily accessed. Accordingly, when jam occurs in the peripheries of the branch portions where the switching members are disposed, a user can extract a jammed sheet by opening the jam processing door.
However, in the sheet conveying apparatus, when the user opens the jam processing door and extracts the jammed sheet to process jam in the peripheries of the branch portions, there is a possibility that the jammed sheet is caught by a switching member in a branch portion and broken. Further, when it is intended to forcibly extract the jammed sheet caught by the switching member in the branch portion, there is also a possibility that the switching member is broken.
As a countermeasure for solving the problem, there is a method disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-39602. According to this method, when a jam processing door is opened, a switching member is evacuated together with the jam processing door in association the opening of the door to thereby open a jam processing space.
However, this technology is defective in that the number of parts, the size of an apparatus, and a cost are increased because parts which cause the jam processing door to be associated with the switching member are necessary although breakage of a jammed sheet and the switching member can be prevented.